Prof. Peter Feys (PhD KULeuven, 2004) is professor in Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy at Hasselt University, and dean of the faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences at Hasselt University Belgium. He is responsible for education of courses in neurological rehabilitation in a 3 years Bac and 2 years Ms educational program of Rehabilitation sciences and Physiotherapy, and a course in the master Occupational Therapy. Before working at UHasselt, he was clinical physiotherapist in Bürgerspital Solothurn (CH), University Hospitals Leuven and the National MS Center Melsbroek (Belgium).

Research-wise, Prof. Feys leads the neurological rehabilitating research at REVAL-UHasselt. His internationally renowned team performs innovative patient relevant research in the domains of auditory-motor coupling, motor fatigability, cognitive motor interference and upper extremity and trunk control. The research is mostly performed in persons with Multiple sclerosis and secondary stroke and CP. Peter Feys has published over 135 peer- reviewed articles in esteemed international clinical neurological, imaging, and rehabilitation journals. Another particular interest is contributing to the establishment of large databases that contain MS rehabilitation data besides medical and lifestyle information, specifically the MSDATACONNECT initiative (https://www.uhasselt.be/msdataconnect).

Peter Feys has been president of RIMS (Rehabilitation in MS; www.euRIMS.org), a European network of best practice and research from 2011-17 after having served as chair of the special interest group on mobility (2008-11) and secretary in the executive board (2008-11). The European network is including MS clinical centers, MS specialized health care professionals, MS societies and MS research centers. Amongst others, collaborative multi-center research on psychometrics of mobility and upper limb measures, and innovative interventions were established as well as other (educational) projects facilitated related to the access and content of physiotherapy in Europe and APPECO – Applying evidence with confidence (https://www.appeco.net); a living documentation system.

Peter Feys is member of international initiatives: Member of the PMSA scientific steering committee on the subgroup (1 out of 3) ‘Wellness and Rehabilitation’. PMSA stands for the progressive MS Alliance, which is an international global network dedicated to accelerating research and research implementation in the field of the progressive form of MS. See https://www.progressivemsalliance.org/.

Co-chair of the group ‘Outcome members’ of the MoXFO initiative: movement exercise in MS forward, led by prof. Ulrik Dalgas (Denmark) en prof. C. Heesen (Germany) within the RIMS network. Nationally, Peter Feys is member of the FWO (Flemish fund for science) expert panel MED 8 on ‘Health’ since 2018. Peter Feys is an editorial board member of ‘Multiple Sclerosis Journal’ and ‘Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair’. Previously, he was formal member of the Italian MS Society review board and served as management committee member in the COST action TD1006 (European Network on Robotics for NeuroRehabilitation, 2011-15) and is substitute management committee member of COST action CA16116 entitle ‘Wearable robots for augmentation, assistance or substitution of human motor functions’. In addition, he is secretary of ‘Move to Sport’ (www.movetosport.be) and member of the Flemish MS Support fund.

In 2018, Peter Feys contributed actively to WHO Rehabilitation Action Plan 2030 as voluntary part time consultant supported by the research council of UHasselt. The projects are embedded in the Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention, specifically the group on ‘Disability and Rehabilitation’ led by prof. dr. A. Cieza based in headquarters Geneva. A contribution was made to the ‘package of priority rehabilitation interventions’ project, especially to the overall methodology to identify the evidence base of effective rehabilitation interventions.

Joelle Massouh is currently the Clinical Manager of the Neurology Institute and the MS Center at Harley Street Medical Center, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Previously, she was the Nurse in Charge at the AUBMC MS Center in Beirut, Lebanon for more than 10 years. She is the first nurse and healthcare professional in the Middle East to be double certified as a Multiple Sclerosis Certified Nurse and a Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist. She is a member of the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses (IOMSN) and a board member representing the Middle East on the Multiple Sclerosis Nurses International Certification Board (MSNICB), which was established to develop criteria for certification and recertification and administer the certification examination for MS Nurses.

Ms. Massouh is also the Nursing Program Coordinator of the Middle East North Africa Committee for Treatment and Research in MS (MENACTRIMS), responsible for organizing the nursing session annually at the MENACTRIMS congress, with a mission of advancing the specialty of MS nursing in the MENA region.

In 2019, she was awarded the Inaugural International MS nursing leadership award by IOMSN at the annual Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) congress in USA, an award given for the first time.

She has led many multidisciplinary and nursing Continuing Medical Education programs in Lebanon and the region and has supported nurses and healthcare providers (including physicians and pharmacists) to attain international certification in MS.

She also lectures about MS to graduate students, patients, and the community. She has participated in writing articles and book chapters on MS and MS nurses. Her research interests include studying resilience in people living with MS.

Dr. Tariq F. Al-Shaiji obtained his Urology board from McMaster Univeristy in Canada. He has fellowship training in Andrology from the University of Western Ontario (Canada) and a fellowship in Female Urology and Neuro-Urology from the Univeristy of Toronto (Canada). Currently, he works as a consultant urologist in the State of Kuwait at Amiri Hospital as well as chair of Urology Unit at Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah Hospital. He serves as the program director for Kuwait Urology Residency Program at Kuwait Institute for Medical Specializations.

He has published multiple papers in reputed journals and written some book chapters.

Dr. Raed Alroughani is a consultant neurologist and the director of MS clinic at Amiri and Ibn Sina hospitals. He received his degree in medicine (MD) from Charles University. He completed his neurology residency at the University of British Columbia and subsequently obtained the neurology certification from the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeon (Canada). He then completed a fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis at the University of British Columbia.

Dr Alroughani’s fields of interest are principally directed towards the epidemiology and therapeutics of MS. He established the national MS registry and the multi-disciplinary MS clinic in Kuwait. He is actively involved in research and he authored and co-authored more than 100 publications. Dr Alroughani was awarded the National Prize for scientific production in the field of medical science in 2017 and the best researcher award by Amiri Hospital in 2018.

He is a founding member and the secretary general of MENACTRIMS. He is the vice chair of the Scientific Leadership Group of MSBase Foundation and an executive board member of ParadigMS Foundation. He sits on the executive boards of various scientific associations, steering committees and advisory boards, mainly in the field of MS.

Noor Al-Omar, BSc (Hons), MSc, RD, RNutr, completed her Master's degree at the University of Dundee, United Kingdom, and her clinical training at University College London Hospital (UCLH). She has served as the Head of the Dietetics Unit at Alsalam International Hospital in Kuwait, where she provided leadership and specialized in the nutritional management of gastrointestinal diseases, bariatric surgery, sports nutrition, diabetes, pre/postnatal nutrition, PCOS, obesity, allergies, and weight management for both children and adults. She is also extensively trained in ICU nutrition, including tube feeding and Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), ensuring the highest level of care for critically ill patients. Additionally, she specializes in the Low FODMAP diet for managing IBS. Noor’s diverse experience allows her to deliver tailored, patient-centered nutrition plans that address a wide spectrum of clinical and wellness needs.

Dr. Zeineddine is currently a Clinical Associate Professor at the Lebanese American University. She is a Lebanese Senior Clinical/Ambulatory Care Pharmacist specialized in neurology and multiple sclerosis. Winner of the “Best Clinician” and “Positive Attitude” awards, she completed several internships at major hospital and community pharmacies in Lebanon and the US and graduated from LAU with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree with distinction in June 2011. In August 2015, she successfully passed the Multiple Sclerosis Specialization examination and became the first and only Multiple Sclerosis Certified Pharmacist in Lebanon and the Middle East. From September 2011-August 2020, she worked as the ambulatory care pharmacist of the Multiple Sclerosis Center of the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). In December 2015, she was appointed as Executive Secretary of the Middle East North Africa Committee for Research and Treatment in Multiple Sclerosis (MENACTRIMS). Dr.Zeineddine is an active researcher and a public speaker. She has multiple publications, is involved in several international clinical trials in the field of neurology and multiple sclerosis and is a member of several national and international professional organizations. From 2015 and until 2022, she was also the fund coordinator at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society of Lebanon (MSSL). She is currently the leader of the Neuropsychiatry Listserv at IVPN-Network and is a PhD candidate in “Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases” at the Tropical Institute of Neurology at Limoges University, Limoges, France. In May 2023, she was invited by the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation to join their International Medical and Scientific Board, representing the Middle East and North Africa region in the aim of improving the quality of life of people affected by multiple sclerosis.

Joelle Massouh is currently the Clinical Manager of the Neurology Institute and the MS Center at Harley Street Medical Center, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Previously, she was the Nurse in Charge at the AUBMC MS Center in Beirut, Lebanon for more than 10 years. She is the first nurse and healthcare professional in the Middle East to be double certified as a Multiple Sclerosis Certified Nurse and a Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist. She is a member of the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses (IOMSN) and a board member representing the Middle East on the Multiple Sclerosis Nurses International Certification Board (MSNICB), which was established to develop criteria for certification and recertification and administer the certification examination for MS Nurses.

Ms. Massouh is also the Nursing Program Coordinator of the Middle East North Africa Committee for Treatment and Research in MS (MENACTRIMS), responsible for organizing the nursing session annually at the MENACTRIMS congress, with a mission of advancing the specialty of MS nursing in the MENA region.

In 2022, she was invited to become a member of the Medical Advisory Committee of the newly-launched National Multiple Sclerosis Society of the UAE.

In 2019, she was awarded the Inaugural International MS nursing leadership award by IOMSN at the annual Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) congress in USA, an award given for the first time.

She has led many multidisciplinary and nursing Continuing Medical Education programs in Lebanon, UAE, the MENA region, and globally. She has supported nurses and healthcare providers (including physicians and pharmacists) to attain international certification in MS. She also lectures about MS to students, patients, and the community. She has participated in writing articles and book chapters on MS and MS nurses. Her research interests include studying resilience in people living with MS.

Dr. Yammout is currently Professor of Neurology at the American University of Beirut Medical Center and director of the Neurology Institute at Harley Street Medical Center in Abu Dhabi. He graduated from medical school at AUB in 1984, received his training in neurology at the University of Cincinnati-Ohio in the USA, and followed by a fellowship at the Montreal Neurological Institute-McGill University in Canada. He received his American Board in Neurology and joined the faculty at the American University of Beirut in 1988. He is currently head of clinical research at the Multiple Sclerosis Center, president of MENACTRIMS (Middle East North Africa Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis), member of the MSIF (Multiple Sclerosis International Federation) Scientific Advisory Board, and fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.

Dr. Yammout is one of the leading experts on multiple sclerosis in the Middle East with recent research on epidemiology of the disease in the region, quality of life of patients in the Middle East. In addition, he is currently the principal investigator on several ongoing international multiple sclerosis research trials. Dr. Yammout has authored many research and review papers and is currently Chief Editor of the MS newsletter “MS today”, and on the editorial board of “Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders”, “Journal of Multiple Sclerosis” and “Pediatric Neurology”.

Jalesh Panicker is a Professor of Neurology and Uro-Neurology at University College London (UCL), and Clinical Lead of the Department of Uro-Neurology at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London. He has grown a multidisciplinary team of specialists across Neurology, Urology, Uro-gynaecology and Neuro-Gastroenterology including Specialist Nurses, Clinical Scientists, Pelvic health physiotherapist and Health psychologist that offers a holistic approach to the management of bladder, sexual and bowel dysfunction in individuals with known and suspected neurological disorders. He is also involved in delivering Uro-Neurology teaching and training for junior doctors and other health care professionals across Neurology, Urology, Gynaecology and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation from the UK and abroad.

Despite full time clinical commitments on the NHS, he leads an active research programme evaluating non-surgical treatment options for managing the neurogenic bladder. He has developed a comprehensive pelvic neurology protocol including pelvic neurophysiology testing for patients presenting with unexplained pelvic symptoms where a neurological cause is suspected. Professor Panicker has published more than 200 peer reviewed papers, 25 book chapters and published two books. He is currently the Educational Officer of the International Neuro-urology Society, building collaborative bridges between Neurology and Urology. He chairs the international NEUROGED multidisciplinary taskforce that is establishing guidelines for the management of neurogenic urogenital dysfunction for practicing neurologists.

Gina Lee is a Multiple Sclerosis Nurse Coordinator in Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. At the same clinic she worked as Casual Registered Nurse: Neuro ICU. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic, Gina Lee worked as Registered Nurse: Nursing Resource Medical/Surgical/Neuro/ICU in Toronto General Hospital & Toronto Western Hospital.

Ms. Lee had her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Ryerson University: Toronto, Ontario Canada. Also, Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from York University: Toronto, Ontario Canada. She passed the Canadian Registered Nursing Exam. She got a lot of certificates in Coronary Care 1 & Fundamentals in Critical Care Certificate from Humber College: Toronto, Ontario Canada. After, she got MS Nurse Professional: An online training curriculum to support the evolving role of European MS Nurses. Then, the Advanced Cardiac Life Support Certificate and Basic Life Support.

Dr. Barakat is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at AUBMC which he joined in 2018. He is a certified Clinical Neuropsychologist. Dr Barakat holds a PhD (Research and Intervention) in Clinical Neuropsychology from the University of Montreal (2011), and a PhD in Neuropsychology from the University of Toulouse (2004).

Prior to joining AUBMC, Dr. Barakat worked as a Clinical Neuropsychologist in a private multidisciplinary clinic in Canada and held a position of clinical supervisor in the PsyD program of Clinical Neuropsychology at the University of Montreal.

Dr. Marc Barakat combines a vast clinical experience in the assessment of adults presenting with various cognitive and psychological disorders, and he also provides cognitive rehabilitation and emotional support for patients with neurological disorders and their caregivers.